COLUMN: Pay close attention to legislation Congress passes through
Unless you’ve been in a study coma for the last several months, I’m sure you’ve heard something about the bill moving through the House and Senate intended to defund Planned Parenthood.
But there is something more important you might not have heard.
While the crusade to kill Planned Parenthood has been a long one, and it’s had plenty of media coverage, there’s a second half to the bill that would repeal Obamacare.
That part of the bill has received much less attention.
So let’s look into it.
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 has come under heavy fire since it was passed into law. It has survived numerous attacks. So far, it seems to be weathering the current storm well.
However, a new attack has marked a key shift in the way the political system is trying to pass law. Rather than focusing on two bills, one for each issue, Congress has pushed them into one bill.
Both the House and the Senate threw this new bill against the wall, hoping it would stick.
They were optimistic, given the massive amount of flack that Planned Parenthood has been taking for the alleged sale of fetuses.
I personally find this behavior disgusting and degrading.
So why should you, the voter, view this as a personal slap to the face?
Congress is treating the American voter like a toddler. They’ve taken a bill that is unpopular and jazzed it up by attaching it to a more appealing part of legislation.
Sort of like a piece of broccoli disguised as an “airplane.”
Frankly, it’s insulting.
Make no mistake about it. This isn’t a one-time occurrence. If anything it’s becoming a more popular tactic.
It’s sad how short of a memory America has when it comes to “key voting issues.”
Healthcare was a huge component of the 2008 Presidential Election. Here we are, barely eight years later, and it feels like a non-issue to everyday Americans.
But to me, it still should be an issue.
One of the huge victories gained for young adults was the portion of the Affordable Care Act that relates to Dependant Coverage for those who are under 26 years of age.
Essentially what the bill was trying to recognize is the difficulty of being a young adult and not having health insurance.
As law, Obamacare will allow you remain on your parents insurance as long as you are younger than 26.
With the rising cost of healthcare, I enjoy the peace of mind that comes with an affordable doctor’s bill, even if I don’t get the cartoon Band-Aids anymore.
It is an election year.
With the important bills Congress is trying to slide in under the table, I think it’s only fair we ask ourselves if we’re still interested in buying what they are selling.
